Ring grinding machine



March 26, 1946. R STENWALL RING GRINDING MACHINE Filed July 5, 1944 4 SheetsSheet 1l MLM B `R bari Sfenmcx Dg@ i M v v mornegs March 26, 1946. R. sTENwALL 2,397,298

RING GRINDING MACHINE 'l Filed July 3, 1944I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 In'uenr MM.

March 26, 1946.. R. sTENwALL 2,397,298

RING GRINDING MACHINE I Filed July 3, 1944 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fgj; 60 l lnuenfor l )a Rober Sfenwo i hornegg Patented Mar. 26, 1946 RING GRINDING MACHINE Robert 'StenwalL Newaygo, Mich., assignor to Muskegon Piston Ring Company, Muskegon, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application July 3, 1944, Serial No. 543,233

13 Claims.

This invention ,relates to ring grinding machines and is primarily designed for the very rapid grinding of piston ring castings at their outer curved surfaces for the purpose of removing the casting skin and scale which said castings have at all surfaces Vwhen produced as individually cast rings. In other cases double width rings are divided midway between their flatsides, and also sleeves may be cut transversely to produce a plurality of piston ring blanks from each ofwhich a. piston ring may be made. The present machine to which the invention pertains may be utilized forthe grinding of either individual ring castings, ring castings produced by dividing or splitting a double width ring casting, or individual piston ring blanks cut from a cast sleeve to remove the scale or skin of the casting as it is at times called, at the outer curved surfaces of the ring castings.

One practical result which it is a. purpose of the present invention to produce is a very large quantity production in the matter of the -ruiter curved surface grinding of piston ring castings, the present invention having a plurality of ring holding units each of which may hold a plurality of ring castings for grinding, the units being carried in succession to a grinding wheel which processes the rings at their outer curved surfaces. Removable arbors, each of which carries a plurality of the ring castings, are placed with the ring castings thereon in said units in succession and removed therefrom in succession after they have passed -by the grinding wheel after it has performed its grinding operation. With such a machine and with the units moving continuously in succession to andv past the grinding wheel two operators of the machine are required, one kept busy placing the loaded arbors in position in the units as they are moving toward the grinding wheel, and the other removing the arbors with their processed ring castings thereon from such units after passing the grinding wheel.

A further object and purpose of the invention is to provide a. novel and very eiective construction for maintaining the ring castings on the arbors at proper position and for driving and turning them substantially each about its central axis while the grinding is taking place, with a release of such turning after the grinding wheel has been passed and with an engagement with the ring castings on the next loaded arbor placed therein as the grinding wheel is approached.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism as described in which the Y curved surfaces at all times snugly and securelyv driving means for the ring castings exerts a pressure thereon to maintain them at their inner against their carrying arbors therefor, it being understood that the inner diameter of the ring castings greatly exceeds the diameter of the arbors on which the castings are held and suspended. Many other objects and purposes than those stated will be evident as an understanding of the invention is had from the following description of a machine which has been designed and is in practical operation, reference being hadV to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the ring grinding machine made in accordance withmy invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section longitudinally of one of the ring carrying units illustrating the manner inJwhyich the driving rollers for the ring castings are operated.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat enlarged substantiallyv central vertical section through the rotating turntable construction upon which the ring holding units are carried.

Fig. 4 is a a plan view of the machine, and partly in horizontal section at one side thereof.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through a ring holding unit as it is passing by the grinding wheel.

Fig. 6 is a central vertical section through a ring holding unit illustrating the manner of supporting the ring casting holding arbor, -and Fig. 7 is an outside end elevation of one of the ring carrying units. p

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings. v

As shown in Fig. 1 the grinding machine includes a supporting housing I to one side of which is a laterally extending housing 2, the housing I extending above the upper side of the housing 2 and at its inner face being provided with guide ribs 3 for the adjustable mounting of a bracket l which carries a motor 5 with its shaft vertically positioned. A grinding wheel -6 is secured at the lower end of the shaft and over the upper side of the housing at 2. It is apparent that the grinding wheel 6 at its lower side lies in a horizontal plane and it is .underneath the lower side or face of the grinding wheel that the ring castingsare carried for the outside grinding thereof.

. Within the laterally located Ahousing 2 (Fig. 3) a relatively heavy vertical sleeve 1 is located beingsupported by outwardly extending arms 8 cast therewith and with the sides ofthe housing 2. An elongated vertical sleeve 9 is mountedwithin the sleeve 'l at its lower portion and extending above said sleeve 'l being permanently secured at a desired position. A horizontal turntable Ill is located over the upper portion of the housing 2 and rides on tracks Il on the housing 2 in its turning movement. A vertical sleeve I2 of relatively large diameter is cast. integral with the table Il (Fig. 3) around the lower end of which a ring gear I3 is permanently secured.- A pinion I4 is fixed at the upper end of a vertical shaft I5 extending downwardly through a suitable lournal l5 and at its lower end equipped with a worm gear I1 which may be driven by a worm I8, in turn driven from any suitable source of power. The Journal at it is located above and carried by a housing I9 which encloses the worm and worm gear previously mentioned. D

From the central portion of the table I3 and within the sleeve I2 an additional sleeve 2B of smaller diameter is cast integral with said table and extends downwardly, between the lower end of which and the sleeve 9 previously described suitable anti-friction bearings 2| are located.

A pluralityy of ring casting carrying and driving units are mountedat the upper side of the table I l) extending radially outward from the center thereof as shown in Fig. 4. Said units, designated by the character U and shown as six in number (Fig. 4), are all of the same structure and the description of one of them will suice for all. Each has a horizontal base ,22 connected to the upper side of the table I9. The base is of a substantially rectangular form and longitudinally thereof and substantially midway between its sides spaced supporting brackets or floor members 23 and 24 (Fig. 6) are connected. Each is vertically bored from its upper end downwardly and receives a rod 25 pinned against rotation at its lower portion and extending above the upper end of its respective bracket. Each of the rods 25 at its upper end is vertically bored and interiorly threaded. A- cap member 26 is telescoped over the upper end portion of each of the rods 25 and carries a screw 21 which may be threaded into the upper parts of the adjacent rod 25, the upper ends of the screws being accessible for turning by means of a socket wrench whereby the cap members 26 may be readily adjusted. At the inner sides and upper portions of the brackets 23 and 24 vertical plates 28 are fastened. From the upper portions of each of said cap members 23 spaced pins 29 extend inwardly.

The ring holding arbor comprises a cylindrical rod 30 which adjacent each end is formed with a collar 3| larger in diameter than the diameter of the rod, said collars being adapted to rest u pon #the pins 29. The ring castings 32 are disposed on and suspended from the arbor which is in a horizontal position, a relatively large number of them, in side by side relation as many of them as can be located between the spaced collars 3I. Through the adjusting screws 21 the arbors 30 may be adjusted to have their axes positioned exactly horizontal and with the axes of all of the arbors in the same plane.

At each side of the brackets 23 and 24 two spaced apart journals 33 are located and secured at the upper side of the base plate 22. A rock shaft 34 extends through each of the pairs of journals 33 one toward each side of the base plate 22, and each at its outer end has an upwardly extending arm 35 connected therewith and at its inne'i end a housing consisting of a verti-f` cally extending arm 36 with a cover plate 31 at its inner side(Fig. 2). A roller 3,9 is mounted on suitable bearings carried at the upper ends of the arms 35 and'3 and between said arms is covered with a yielding elastic covering 33 which may be of rubber or rubber composition or equivalent friction yielding material. The roller 39 at its end carried by the arm 36 has a pinion e9 fixed thereto. A shaft dI is rotatably mounted and located substantially in alinement with each of the rock shafts 34 and has a pinion .42 at its end within the housing provided by the housing 3B and 31 between which and the pinion di! are a plurality of meshing pinions d3. There being two of the shafts 4I one adjacent each side of the unit and spacedl from each other, each of said shafts 4I carries a pinion or gear 44 between its ends and between thespaced pinions ed an idle pinion 4B is mounted being in mesh with each of the pinions d4, so that on driving one of the shafts 4I both rollers 38-39 are driven at equal speeds and in opposite directions. The shafts 4I and the pinions i4 and 45 are suitably mounted within an outer housing d6 common to all' of them.

Outwardly from each of the journals or brackets 33 at the outer end of each unit other journalsor brackets are provided and secured to the upper side of the base plate 22 (Figs. 3 and 7). Rock shafts 41a extend horizontally through the journals 41, each at its outer end having a vertical arm 43 secured at its lower end to the shaft, and at its inner end a second vertical arm 48a similarly secured. At the upper end of each of the arms 48a links 49 connect said arms with bars 50 which extend between and are secured at their endsl to the vertical arms 35 and 36A at each side of the ring holding unit.

A lever 5I is pivotally mounted at 52 between its ends at the outer end of each of said units, as shown in Fig. 7. said lever 5I at its lower end carrying a roller 53. Two bars 5t are pivotally connected at their inner ends one above the shaft 52 and one below (Fig. '1) and extend' in opposite directions therefrom to and through blocks 55 swivelly connected to the upper ends of the arms 43. The bars 54 are formed at their outer end Portions as rods which are screw threaded where they pass through said blocks 55 and adjusting nuts 58 are threaded on said rods for adjustment of position of the arms 48 with respect to the arms 5 I At the upper portion of the housing 2 and at its outer end an annular shroud t1 (Fig. 3) is cast integral with said housing, and as shown in Fig. 3, on the bottom thereof a plurality of braakets 53 are secured to which at the upper ends a rail 53 is secured or integrally cast. 'Ihe rail 59 extends around the outer portion of the table II) with a gap below the grinding wheel t and for e short distance eachside thereof. At each end the track 59 is inclined downwardly as indicated at 60 in Fig. 7. The roller 53 on each of the arms 5I of said units as said rollers in succession come to said track ride thereon. A coiled tension spring 6I is connected at one end toeach of the arms 5I and at the other end to a suitable bracket fixed to the upper side of the plate 22. The tendency of this spring is to turn the arm in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 7).

It is evident that in the gap between the ends mon horizontal axis of all of said ring castings. thereupon tending to move the ring castings downwardly and accordingly holding them snugly against the upper si'des'of the arbors 30 from which they are suspended. And .with said rollers continuously driven as hereinafter described and inY opposite directions the ring castings will be continuously turned whereby, whenA passing underneath the face of Ithe grinding wheel 6, all parts of the outer curved surfaces of the ring castings will come to the grinding wheel and be processed thereby.

This engagement with and driving of the ring castings on .any unit occurs while the roller 53 carried by such unit is transversing the gap between the end portions 60 of the track 59, and while moving under the grinding wheel, but when a roller 53 comes to the inclined end portion 60 of the track 59 (Fig. 7 and engages thereagainst the movement being in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. '7) the arm 50 is turned clockwise with a stretching of the spring and an outward movement of the rollers 38-39 away from the ring castings 32 which they have previously engaged. Such outward position of the driving rollers 38 and 39 is maintained all of the time that rollers 53 are traversing the upper side of the track 59; but returning to driving positions when, in the rotation of the turntable I0, rollers in succession leave the opposite end of said track.

A vertical shaft 62 extends through and is rotatably mounted in the'sleeve 9 (Fig. 3). At its upper end it carries a beveled gear 63. Short coupling shafts 64 are located in alinement with and clutch connected to one of the shafts 4| ofeach of the ring casting holding units, each at its inner end having a beveled pinion 65 meshing with the gear 63. The shafts 64 are mounted in a suitable housing therefor above and centrally of the table i as shown in Fig. 3.

At its lower end ,the shaft 62 h as a driving pulley 61 which through belts 68 is driven by a pulley 69 carried at the lower end of a vertical shaft rotatably mounted on and extending through a vertical journal 'l0 which at its upper end has a pulley 1i which may be driven from any suitable source of power. The parts 69, and 1I are located at the outer side of the housing 2 and are I carried on a supporting bracket, as shown at 12, which is connected to the housing.

In the operation of the machine the shaft I8 is driven continuously and through the gearing connections between it and the table I 0 is con'- tinuously turned about a vertical axis in a counter-clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. The shaft 62 is also continuously driven and through the several gearing connections de scribed the rollers 38 and 39 are continuously driven. The direction of rotation of said rollers is shown by arrows in Fig. 5. While said rollers are continuously rotating they are not moved inwardly to ring casting engaging position as shown in Fig. 5, during the time that any unit is located so that its roller 53 (Fig. '7) is bearing against andtraversing the upper side of the track 59. This leaves the ring carrying arbors free for removal after the ring castings carried by an arbor have passed underneath and have been ground by the grinding wheel, and also an arbor loaded with unprocessed ring castings may be placed in a unit ing wheel and end 60 of the track 59 will have been reached, freeing the spring 6I to perform lus against the castings and with the pressure which.

is produced by the tension in the spring 6I,

It is evident that with the construction described a very heavy quantity production of outfside grinding of piston ring castings may be had, Vas fast as one man can place the loaded arbors in succession into the units, a second workman being required to remove the arbors with the processed castings thereon after they have passed by th'e grinding wheel. With the machine rings of varying diameters may be outside ground, several sizes thereof of nearly the same diameters without any adjustment of Ithe qmachine and.with others adjustments are quickly and easily made in conjunction with the bars 54 and adjusting screws 21. The described machine has been built and is in practical everyday use and with it the outside grinding of piston ring castings in large quantity is continuously and successfully done.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim: y

1. A construction comprising a horizontal base member two spaced apart vertical supports carried by the base member, means at the upper ends of said supports upon which a horizontal arbor may bear adjacent its ends and-upon which said arbor may turn about its longitudinal axis, said arbor being adapted to have a plurality of ring castings suspended therefrom in side by side relationship between the vertical supports, a pair of arms at each side of said supports pivotally ond mentioned arms for moving them about their pivots to move said driving rollers simultaneously toward or away from each other, as specified.

2. A construction having the elements defined in claim 1, said rollers having a covering of resilient yieldable materialand being located in positions withreference to ring castings suspended from an arbor carried by said supports that when the rollers are moved toward each' other to engage said ring castings they engage them' on opposite sides at points in a plane above the centers of said castings.

3. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 1, said supports upon which a ring casting carrying arbor is adapted to be placed or removed having upper and lower parts, and means for adjusting the upper parts vertically with relation to the lower parts whereby the axis of a ring casting carrying arbor placed thereon may be disposed in a preselected horizontal plane.

4. -In a structure of the class described,.a. plurality of ring casting carrying units, each having means adapted to rotatably support a horizontal arbor from which a plurality of ring castings are ,suspended, said arbor passing through the castings, driving rollers in each of said units speeds and in' opposite directions, means for suc-l cessively moving said units underneath the lower face of a horizontal grinding wheel and means for moving said rollers toward each other to engage and drive ring castings on each unit before passing underneath the grinding wheel and for moving said rollers away from each' other after said Passage.

5. In a structure of the class described, a horizontal turntable mounted to turn about a vertical axis, means for continuously driving said table, a plurality of ring casting carrying units each having means adapted to rotatably support a horizontal arbor from which a plurality of ring castings are suspended, said arbor passing through the castings, and said units being disposed radially at the upper side ofthe table, horizontal driving rollers in each' of said units mounted for movement toward or away from each other and positioned to engage ring castings thus carried and rotate them between said rollers when the rollers are moved toward each other, means for continuously ldriving all of the rollers of all of the units at the same speeds and with the rollers in each unit turning in opposite directions, a horisaid units are mounted in spaced relation, means zontal rotatably mounted grinding wh'eel underneath which said units are successively moved by the rotation of the turntable, means for moving said rollers toward each' other to engage and drive rings castings on each unit as it approaches and while passing underneath the grinding wheel, and means for moving said rollers away from each other after the passage of a unit underneath said grinding wheel.

6. In a structure of the class described, a horizontal turntable mounted to turn about a central vertical axis, means for continuously turning said turntable, a plurality of ring casting carrying units each having supporting means upon which a horizontal arbor may be placed and from which it may be readily removed, said arbor being adapted to have a plurality of ring castings placed thereaver for suspension therefrom, two horizontal driving rollers one at each side of said arbor in each of said units mounted for movement toward or away from each other to thereby engage ring castings thus carried by the arbors and rotate them, a single means for driving all of said rollers in all of the units at the same speeds and with the rollers of each unit turning in opposite directions, a horizontal grinding wheel mounted to turn about a vertical axis underneath which said units are successively carried by the turning of said turntable, means for moving said driving rollers of a unit toward each other to engage and rotate the ring castings as each unit approaches for moving said member to carry the units in succession underneath the lower side of the grinding wheel, means for driving said ring castings to rotate them about their centers, means` for rendering said ring driving means eiective upon a unit approaching said grinding wheel and during the time that it is passing therebeneath, and means for rendering said driving means lneii'ective after passage by the grinding wheel.

8. A plurality of ring carrying casting units, each having a supporting means therefor for rotatably supporting a horizontal arbor, said arbor being adapted to pass through a plurality of ring castings whereby said castings are suspended from the arbor, said arbor being freely removable from and replaceable upon said supporting I means, driving means on each unit mounted f or movement to engage opposite sides of said ring castings above the centers thereof and turn the ring castings about their centers, a common movable support for all of said units, said units being mounted thereon in spaced relation to each other, means for machining the outer curved surfaces of said ring castings when they are rotating, un-

derneath which the units are successively moved,

means for moving said ring casting driving means to engaging position with the ring castings while passing underneath said machining means and means for moving said ring driving means away from the ring castings after said passage whereby the arbor carrying said ring castings may be removed vfrom the unit and replaced by a like arbor having unprocessed ring castings thereon.

9. A horizontal rotatable turntable mounted to turn about a vertical axis, means for continuously turning said turntable, a plurality of ring carrying casting units radially located on and above said table, each having means for rotatably supporting a horizontal arbor adapted to pass through and support a plurality of ring castings, driving means on eachunit mounted for movement to engage opposite sides of said ring castings above the centers thereof and turn the ring castings about their centers, means for machining the outer curved surfaces of said ring castings when they are rotating, underneath which the ring castings are successively moved, a ilxed horizontal track around and outside of the turntable and at its ends at opposite sides of said machining means, means on each unit adapted to ride upon said track when brought thereto and released from said track upon approach to, during movement under and for a short distance after passage underneath said machining means, said means mounted on each unit having operative connection with said ring casting driving means whereby when engaged with said track said ring said grinding wheel and while passing underneath casting driving means are moved simultaneously outward away from ring castings carried by the unit, and spring means acting thereon to cause the ring casting driving means to move inwardly simultaneously toward each other to engage the ring castings upon approach to, while underneath, and for a short distance after passage by said ring casting machining means.

10. A construction as defined in claim 9, said ring casting driving means comprising horizontal rollers covered with resilient material, arms pivotally mounted at their lower ends with said rollers at the upper ends thereof, said means on each unit which engages the tracks comprising, a substantially vertic'al lever pivotally mounted between its ends and a roller at the lower end asoman Y 5 of the lever to traverse the track, and two bars connected one each to one o! the arms carrying each of said rollers, said bars having a pivotal connection to said vertically positioned arm, one above its pivot and one below the pivot.

11. A machine of the class described comprising two spaced apart bearings, an arbor rotatably supported by gravity in `said bearings for quick removal and replacement, said arbor supporting a plurality of rings, a pair of rollers on opposite sides and parallel with said arbor and engageable with said rings, means for moving said rollers into and out of contact with said rings and means for positively rotating said rollers.4

12. A machine of the class described comprising two spaced apart bearings, an arbor rotatably supported in said bearings for quick removal and replacement, said arbor supporting a plurality of rings, a pair of rollers on opposite sides of and parallel with said arbor and engageable with said rings, spring means for moving said rollers into and out of contact with said rings and means for positively rotating said rollers.

13. A machine of the class described comprisl' ing two spaced apart bearings, an arbor rotatably 

